Chapter 639

The Irwin family dinner party. The Irwins were throwing a party under the pretext of Bethany Irwin's return, inviting all of Pinebrook's elite. But let's be honest, this wasn't just a welcome-back dinner—it was a matchmaking event dressed up as a family gathering. The family was clearly hoping to secure a powerful alliance through marriage. Sure, old-money families liked to act above it all, but at the end of the day, they still needed strong ties to keep their influence going. Bethany, as the sole daughter of the Irwin patriarch, needed a husband who could match her status and help keep that power flowing. "I heard Miss Irwin was back in town, so I had this pair of bracelets made from top-grade jade," Victoria Schroeder said, offering a velvet box. She knew Bethany was into that kind of stuff—jade, gemstones, fancy baubles—so she figured it'd be a polite gesture. Even knowing Bethany and Phoebe Turner were close, Victoria still came. Some things just had to be done, status aside. If B